1 E taku tama, tahuri ki oki whakaaro nui, kia anga tou taringa ki toku matauranga:

My son, listen to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding.

2 K ia u ai koe ki te ngarahu pai, kia mau ai te matauranga i ou ngutu.

So you may know what is good thinking, and your lips may keep much learning.

3 K o nga ngutu hoki o te wahine ke, kei te maturuturunga iho o te honikoma, ngawari iho tona mangai i te hinu.

For the lips of a strange woman are as sweet as honey. Her talk is as smooth as oil.

4 H e kawa rawa hoki tona mutunga i te taru kawa; he koi, ano he hoari matarua.

But in the end she is as bitter tasting as wormwood, and as sharp as a sword that cuts both ways.

5 K o ona waewae e heke ana ki te mate, mau pu te reinga i ona takahanga;

Her feet go down to death. Her steps take hold of hell.

6 H eoi kahore i kitea e ia te ara totika ki te ora: he kotiti ke ona ara, a kahore ia i te matau.

She does not think about the path of life. Her ways go this way and that, and she does not know it.

7 N a reira, e aku tamariki, whakarongo mai ki ahau, kei mahue hoki nga kupu a toku mangai.

Now then, my sons, listen to me. Do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

8 K ia matara tou ara i a ia, kaua hoki e tata ki te tatau o tona whare;

Keep far away from her. Do not go near the door of her house.

9 K ei hoatu tou honore ki nga tangata ke, ou tau ki te hunga nanakia:

If you do, you would give your strength to others, and your years to those without loving-kindness.

10 K ei makona nga tangata ke i tou kaha, kei riro ou mauiui ki te whare o te tangata ke;

Strangers would be filled with your strength, and the fruits of your work would go to a strange house.

11 A ka tangi koe i tou whakamutunga, ina poto ou kikokiko me tou tinana.

You would cry inside yourself when your end comes, when your flesh and body are wasted away.

12 A ka mea, Katae toku kino ki te ako; katae te mauiui o toku ngakau ki te tohutohu!

You would say, “How I have hated teaching! My heart hated strong words!

13 K ihai hoki ahau i whakarongo ki te reo o oku kaiwhakaako, kihai toku taringa i anga ki te hunga e tohutohu ana i ahau.

I have not listened to the voice of my teachers. I have not turned my ear to those who would teach me.

14 W ahi iti kei nga kino katoa ahau i waenganui o te whakaminenga, o te huihui.

Now I have a bad name in the meeting place of the people.”

15 I numia he wai i roto i tau ake rua, me nga wai rere ano i roto i tau ake poka.

Drink water from your own pool, flowing water from your own well.

16 K ia tohatoha noa atu koia au puna wai, nga awa wai i nga huarahi?

Should the waters from your well flow away, rivers of water in the streets?

17 W aiho ena mau anake, kauaka ma koutou tahi ko nga tangata ke.

Let them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you.

18 K ia manaakitia tau puna wai: kia koa ano koe ki te wahine o tou taitamarikitanga.

Let your well be honored, and be happy with the wife you married when you were young.

19 K ia rite ia ki taua mea ahuareka, ki te hata, ki te mea ataahua ki te anaterope; kia makona koe i ona u i nga wa katoa, kia matenuitia tonutia e koe tona aroha.

Let her be like a loving, female deer. Let her breasts please you at all times. Be filled with great joy always because of her love.

20 H e aha oti koe, e taku tama, ka matenui ai ki te wahine ke, i awhi ai i te uma o te wahine ke?

My son, why should you be carried away with a sinful woman and fall into the arms of a strange woman?

21 K ei mua hoki i nga kanohi o Ihowa nga ara o te tangata, a e meinga ana e ia kia papatairite ona ara katoa.

For the ways of a man are seen by the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.

22 K o ona kino ano hei hopu i te tangata kino, hei taura ona hara e mau ai ia.

His own sins will trap the sinful. He will be held with the ropes of his sin.

23 K a mate ia, he mea kihai i whakaakona, ka pohehe i te nui o tona wairangi.

He will die for want of teaching, and will go the wrong way because of the greatness of his foolish ways.